Health · Salem

Salem, GA health

Salem differs from Georgia on 23 of 40 measures. It has fewer binge drinkers (9.9% vs 14.5%) and fewer adults with depression (15.1% vs 19%). Where it trails the state: more adults who have had a stroke (6.2% vs 3.6%).

CDC PLACES 2025 · adults 18+ · CDC's estimate for Salem
TownTapestry Health GradeNew

Not graded

Health Grades cover towns with 1,000 or more residents. CDC's estimates for a place of 385 people are less certain, so we show Salem's figures without a grade.

Report card

How Salem compares with Georgia

Each theme counts how many of its measures are better, worse or too close to call against the state. Tap one to jump to it.

Chronic conditions

Out of every 100 Salem adults…

52 of every 100 Salem adults have high blood pressure
Georgia: 37 in 100 · worse · margin 47.6–56.9%

Bars show Salem; the black tick is Georgia. Tap a condition to see it as people.

Habits

Everyday habits, side by side with the state

Salem, betterSalem, worseToo close to callGeorgia
Get no exerciseshare of adults 35.6% Salem
GA 26.5%
Sleep under 7 hoursshare of adults 45.1% Salem
GA 38.4%
Binge drinkshare of adults 9.9% Salem
GA 14.5%
Smoke cigarettesshare of adults 16.9% Salem
GA 13.6%
0%10%20%30%40%50%
Care & screenings

Keeping up with care

Share of Salem adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Georgia.

84%
Yearly checkup
GA 78%
52%
Dentist visit
GA 59%
90%
Cholesterol check
GA 87%
70%
Colon screening
GA 64%
80%
Mammogram
GA 76%
85%
Taking BP meds
GA 77%
1 in 8
working-age adults has no health insurance
Salem 13.1% · Georgia 1 in 8 (13.1%)
Mind & connection

How Salem adults are doing

1 in 2Salem adults feel lonely
41.2% · Georgia 37.3% · too close to call
1 in 7Salem adults have been diagnosed with depression
15.1% · Georgia 19% · better
1 in 3Salem adults lack social or emotional support
34% · Georgia 24.6% · worse
1 in 6Salem adults are in frequent mental distress
16.9% · Georgia 16.9% · too close to call
Everyday needs

Making ends meet

Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.

1 in 4
Salem adults worry about having enough food
26.2% · GA 17.7% · worse
1 in 5
Salem adults worry about keeping their housing
21.6% · GA 15% · worse
1 in 7
Salem adults were threatened with a utility shut-off
13.6% · GA 9.6% · worse
1 in 8
Salem adults lack reliable transportation
12.7% · GA 9.5% · worse

21.4% of Salem adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 14.2% across Georgia.

Disability

Living with a disability

36.1%

of Salem adults live with a disability (Georgia 29.6%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.

Walking or climbing stairs21.7%
Thinking or memory15.5%
Hearing5.9%
Errands alone11%
Vision8.1%
Dressing or bathing6.8%

Black tick: Georgia. Shown without a better/worse judgment.

Getting care

Care in and near Salem

No hospital or community health center in Salem itself. These are the nearest.

HNearest ERUpson Regional Medical CenterThomaston · 12.1 miDirections →
★Best rated nearbyPiedmont Macon North Hospital★★★★★ · 30 miDirections →
+Low-cost careCareconnect HealthRoberta · 10.8 mi · sliding-scale feesDirections →
10.8 mi
Careconnect Health
6 sites · nearest in Roberta
Sliding-scale fees
Directions to nearest
12.1 mi
Upson Regional Medical Center
Thomaston · ★★★★★
ER
20.4 mi
Yourtown Health
Barnesville · community health center
Sliding-scale fees
23.7 mi
Monroe County Hospital
Forsyth · not rated
ERRural critical access
24.6 mi
Atrium Health Navicent Peach
Byron · ★★★★★
ERRural critical access
30 mi
Piedmont Macon North Hospital
Macon · ★★★★★
ER
! Primary careSalem's county is a federal shortage area for some residents.Low-income residents, Upson County · need score 19 of 25
✓ Dental careSalem is not a shortage area
! Mental healthSalem's county is a federal shortage area.MHCA 16 - McIntosh Trail Community Service Board · need score 10 of 25

Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Salem. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).

All 40 measures for Salem
MeasureSalemMarginGeorgia
Chronic conditions
High blood pressure52.3%47.6–56.9%37.4%worse
High cholesterol40.5%35.7–45.2%36.8%about the same
Obesity43.9%35.1–52.8%35.2%about the same
Arthritis30.6%26.7–34.5%24.6%worse
Depression15.1%12.6–18%19%better
Lost all teeth (65+)21%17.2–25%14.5%worse
Asthma11.6%10.2–13.1%10.1%worse
Cancer (not skin)6.2%5.5–6.9%7%better
Diabetes22.3%19.2–25.5%13.3%worse
COPD8.1%6.6–9.8%6.5%worse
Heart disease8.2%6.9–9.5%6.1%worse
Stroke6.2%5.2–7.1%3.6%worse
Habits
Smoke cigarettes16.9%13.4–20.4%13.6%about the same
Binge drink9.9%7.9–12.2%14.5%better
Get no exercise35.6%29.6–41.8%26.5%worse
Sleep under 7 hours45.1%37.8–52.3%38.4%about the same
Care & screenings
Yearly checkup83.9%80.7–86.8%78.4%better
Dentist visit52.2%48.4–56%59.2%worse
Cholesterol check90.2%88.3–91.7%86.8%better
Colon screening69.5%64.2–74.3%64.4%about the same
Mammogram79.9%73–85.6%75.8%about the same
Taking BP meds84.9%82.4–87.1%77.4%better
No health insurance13.1%10.1–17%13.1%about the same
Mind & connection
Feel lonely41.2%35.4–47.3%37.3%about the same
Lack emotional support34%29–39.4%24.6%worse
Frequent mental distress16.9%14.7–19.2%16.9%about the same
Fair or poor health27.7%22.9–32.8%20.3%worse
Frequent physical distress16.3%13.7–19%13.5%worse
Everyday needs
Food insecurity26.2%21–31.6%17.7%worse
Housing insecurity21.6%17.9–25.4%15%worse
Utility shut-off threat13.6%11.5–15.8%9.6%worse
No reliable transportation12.7%10.6–14.9%9.5%worse
Receive SNAP21.4%17.1–26%14.2%
Disability
Any disability36.1%30.6–41.7%29.6%
Walking or climbing stairs21.7%17.8–25.6%14%
Thinking or memory15.5%13.1–18.1%14.4%
Hearing5.9%5–6.8%6.2%
Vision8.1%6.7–9.6%5.6%
Dressing or bathing6.8%5.5–8.2%4.2%
Errands alone11%9.2–13%8.7%
About these numbers

How CDC estimates town health

They're modeled estimatesCDC combines a large national health survey with each area's age, sex, race and income mix to estimate local rates. Nobody surveyed Salem door to door.
Close calls stay grayEvery figure has a margin of error. When the Georgia figure falls inside it, we don't call Salem better or worse.
CDC's own town estimateCDC publishes Salem directly, so these are its own figures.

CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Georgia figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population.

Health estimates: CDC PLACES. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau.

The coffee’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Salem, GAView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map
Loading boundary…

Salem is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/19 · 2025-01-01